Photos courtesy of Radford University
Becky Brackin
Radford University
RADFORD – In recognition of their distinguished academic reputations, Radford University’s Office of the Provost has awarded three faculty members the university’s highest honor.
The 2022-2023 Dalton Eminent Scholar Awards provide faculty members with opportunities for even greater excellence in their chosen fields. Each faculty winner receives a $10,000 award to fund research travel and materials and a $5,000 award following successful research and scholarly activity. The three recipients are encouraged to include student investigators throughout their exploration.
Recipients of the Dalton Eminent Senior Scholar Award must be associate or full professors at Radford University for a minimum of three academic years. One award is reserved for a Dalton Eminent Scholar Rising Star, which recognizes a faculty member showing extraordinary promise in research or creative scholarship.
The recipients of the 2022-2023 Dalton Eminent Senior Scholar Awards are Steven Fesmire, Ph.D., chair and professor, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies and Rick Van Noy, Ph.D., professor, Department of English.
The recipient of the Dalton Eminent Scholar Rising Star Award is Zachary Collier, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Management.
“It is wonderful that the recipients of this year’s Dalton Eminent Scholar Award have creatively shared their expert knowledge with students at Radford University,” said President Bret Danilowicz. “Dr. Fesmire’s work on the role of ethics in society inspires students through examples informed from his global travels. Dr. Van Noy blends his storytelling talents with curiosity about the natural world. Dr. Collier engages students through advancing their understanding of how data are used in risk management. Each recipient is a gifted teacher and scholar.”
The Dalton Eminent Scholars Fund, which provides financial support for the prestigious awards, was originally established in the late 1980s and early 1990s to honor United States District Judge Ted Dalton and former governor of Virginia John Dalton. Through a grassroots fundraising campaign, more than $700,000 was raised for the endowment, which now has funds totaling nearly $2 million.
“Our two Dalton Scholars bring pride and recognition to the university,” said Marten denBoer, Ph.D., interim provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “Not only do they create new knowledge and enhance understanding in their fields of scholarship; they are role models, exemplifying the value of creative activity to benefit society. They are truly public intellectuals, using their expertise to contribute to understanding. Professor Van Noy’s books and publications on climate reach a large audience and create awareness of the effects of climate change. The thoughtful work of Professor Fesmire, based on his ethical inquiry, shows us how to better support and strengthen our democratic institutions. The widely published studies of Professor Collier propose solutions for the supply chain issues affecting our economy. It is an honor to call these eminent scholars our colleagues and acknowledge their contributions to the lives of our students.”
Fesmire, who joined the Radford faculty in 2019 and recently received the 2022 College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences Distinguished Scholar Award, said he feels his award shows Radford’s support for philosophy and the humanities.
“A Radford education helps our students achieve career goals while also helping them to become humane, compassionate, active, and informed members of a world that is too often indifferent to their welfare,” he said. “I’m especially delighted that the award will support research and curriculum development that builds on the practical, adaptive, and interdisciplinary orientation of Radford’s Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies. As part of a project fronting civil discourse into ‘wickedly’ complex problems, my current research explores the need in K-12 and higher education for democratic engagement and resistance without puritanical zealotry, unwavering courage in mediating troubles without need or expectation of certainty, bold action without fatalistic resignation or paralyzing guilt, and moral clarity without oversimplification.”
Van Noy, who has authored several books and been featured in several publications, teaches courses in the environmental humanities, creative nonfiction, professional writing, and American literature.
“I am delighted to receive this recognition and grateful to the Dalton family,” he said. “I am also thankful for the support from colleagues, my chair Robert Williams and Dean Matt Smith. The award will allow me to carry on the work of learning who climate change affects and why this matters, bringing those stories into the classroom. With my Radford students, we write about the changes we are witnessing but also how to tend to and care for places, and each other, in a time of upheaval.”
Collier is the president of a consultancy that provides decision-making and analytics services for clients across industries, including semiconductors, defense, healthcare, education and real estate.
“It is a tremendous honor to be recognized as a rising star here at Radford,” he said. “During my time here, it has been really great to meet with faculty members from across the university and learn about all of the interesting research that is being conducted here. My work has focused on supply chain risk management, especially related to the supply chain for microelectronics. Topics like the chip shortage have been in the news lately, so it is exciting that my research is related to a topic of national interest.”
